大象传媒

From Canon Ann Easter, Chief Executive of a Charity and Chaplain to the Queen:

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Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent 鈥� I got out my black cassock and the purple vestments and put away the flowers because, in Church, this is a rather solemn time of preparation for Christmas, an opportunity for quiet reflection to get ready for what Christians believe to be the moment that changed history, the moment when God had tried everything else to persuade us to love each other and the only thing left was to become a human being and show us how to do it.

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And then, hot on the heels of the aptly-named Black Friday - I never thought I鈥檇 see people fighting over a television! -听 today is Cyber Monday, when we spend more on the internet than on any other day of the year 鈥� and most of that spending is, of course, on preparations for Christmas.

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In church I鈥檓 hoping to build up treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust doth not corrupt, and then when I鈥檓听 on line, I鈥檓 increasing the pile of earthly treasures on top of my wardrobe while trying to ignore the debt and forget about the hell of the January card statement!听

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It鈥檚 natural to want to make a great sparkly do at Christmas and I think that, traditionally, the presents and the cards were intended to echo the generosity of God鈥檚 love for us 鈥� but we seem to have lost sight of that in a mound of tinsel and chocolate!

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God has demonstrated the perfect Christmas present; the baby Jesus came with no wrappings or instructions, batteries not included; instead he was a loving, kind, merciful human being, who made people feel better all over 鈥� and made them want to be like him too.

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The other day, my sister in law, on a rare visit from Scotland, said 鈥榊ou know, I love to get your e mails, texts and cards 鈥� but will you phone me once in a while, so I can hear your voice?鈥�

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